17 set off. 5 were struck by shotgun pellets. 2 are dead, 1 is in a serious condition and will never be able to migrate again. All shot by poachers' guns. A veritable war bulletin when one considers that only a few hundred individuals of the extremely rare northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) remain in the world, while in Europe it is practically extinct. A war bulletin that has, sadly, been recorded entirely within our own borders.

Luna, the latest northern bald ibis to be shot

Over recent months, monitored by the Waldrappteam research team working on its reintroduction in Europe, 17 northern bald ibises set off towards the WWF Oasis at Orbetello to spend the winter. The younger birds are accompanied by an adult individual and by a researcher on the ground who tracks them remotely via GPS. But they are also being followed by trigger-happy individuals who shoot at anything that takes to the air.

Kato, Tara, Enno – the latest to be shot, in the province of Brescia – did not make it, while Thor, struck by around ten pellets, will never be able to migrate again and will be taken to Orbetello to become part of the resident group. Luna was the last to be shot, on 15 November. "Luna's vital organs were miraculously missed by the poacher's gunshot, which instead caused a complete fracture to the proximal third of the tibia, immediately immobilised to prevent further trauma," explains veterinarian Camillo Sandri. Urgently transferred to the same clinic in Bolzano where Thor is also being treated — an ibis already shot on 5 October in the province of Grosseto — Luna was due to undergo surgery in the early hours of this morning. "She will need several months of convalescence and complete immobility, but we are hopeful that next spring Luna may be able to rejoin the group that migrates to Austria for the warmer season."

"The X-ray carried out by veterinarian Camillo Sandri of Parco Natura Viva shows injuries to the leg and wing caused by hunting pellets," states Johannes Fritz, head of the project. "This is therefore the fifth case of poaching. Almost 30 per cent of the flock that has been crossing Italy since September has been shot down."

A loss of 234,000 euros

The European Life+ project has thus suffered enormous losses, not only financial ones, it goes without saying. According to Fritz, this is "a clear indication of the scale of poaching in Italy." The toll is extremely serious: 25 per cent of the northern bald ibises engaged in migration have been shot down.

Federcaccia distances itself

Federcaccia was quick to respond, stating in a press release — issued specifically in relation to the killing of Enno — that: "Whether this was an (inexcusable) mistake on the part of a hunter, or a deliberate act of poaching, there are no excuses: whoever pulled the trigger is a criminal, and Federcaccia strongly condemns the incident." The statement also emphasises that "the northern bald ibis is a species that cannot even be confused with huntable species and is the subject of an important reintroduction project in Europe. Extremely rare, with already two wings and one foot in the grave of extinction." One cannot help but wonder, then, what the intentions are of those who leave their homes, gun in hand, and decide to shoot this bird — once venerated as a god.